Fate: Sword to Black
by Gree
Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki thought his life dealing with the supernatural was over. He was wrong. Now Ichigo is dragged into a war that never should have happened.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is a Bleach/Fate crossover I had been working on for some time now. Here I hope to execute certain concepts that I was unable to do so with the Penitent One. I discontinued that story because I felt I was unable to pursue certain plot elements that I wanted to do. Here I hope to be able to do that. This story I hopefully we be able to see to the end.

As for the story, this takes place post-UBW Good End with Rin, Saber and Shirou together after the war and Post-Aizen Arc but Pre-Fullbringer for Bleach, although this story will overlap with the Fullbringer arc as it progressing in terms of Ichigo's powers.

Then I suppose I should cite my inspiration. At least part of this story is inspired by Ten-Faced Paladin's Fate Ingens Cor. I recommend the story to anyone. I've already spoken to Paladin on the matter and gotten his approval (Or at least his desire to read the story).

As I said in my other story, I am not an expert in Nasuverse lore and I'm not a canon stickler. I will take liberties with canon if I think it would make the story flow better, however I will try and stick to Nasuverse canon when possible.

And yes, I am aware that the afterlife of Bleach and the cosmology of the Nasuverse don't exactly match up very well, but that's not really the focus of the story nor is that going to really come up as a relevant plot point.

Please inform me of any spelling or grammar mistakes. Reviews and comments are welcomed.

**EDIT:** This chapter had been edited and beta'd by Vandenbz. Many thanks to him.

**EDIT: **Changed Saber's catalyst.

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki stepped off the train with a sigh. The sunlight shone through the windows of the Fuyuki train station. He blinked briefly as he adjusted to the glare of the sunlight. Then he shouldered his bags and moved through the station.

All around him people moved about their business. It was summer break and currently he was on vacation from school. The Karakura district usually had a five week summer break. Already two weeks had passed. Now here he was at Fuyuki, a city he had heard about, but had never been to. Here the regional Martial Arts Regionals were being held and Tatsuki was participating. Naturally Ichigo went with her on the invite.

He weaved his way through the crowd of people, trying to find an information center. He needed directions. Tatsuki's match was to begin in three hours and Ichigo was not going to miss her first match of the Regionals. He owed his childhood friend that much. At last he spotted the information desk and headed right towards it when someone suddenly collided with him. Ichigo was suddenly sent sprawling to the ground as his bags flew from his arms and he heard a grunt of shock.

''I'm sorry man, I got distracted,'' Ichigo quickly apologized to the other boy. The other teenager was roughly Ichigo's age with short brown hair and a rather wild look about him. Evidently his collision with Ichigo had caused him to drop a box.

''Here, let me get that for you,'' Ichigo picked up the box and handed it back to the boy, who snatched it out of his hands.

''Idiot! Do you have any idea how valuable this is?'' the boy demanded.

''Look I'm sorry, it was an accident,'' Ichigo narrowed his eyes, but the boy had already left in a huff. The orange-haired youth watched as the boy retreated into the crowd before he shrugged and grabbed his bags, checking to see if he lost anything.

_What the hell's his problem?_ He thought. Ichigo dismissed that train of thought. Some guy being a jerk wasn't really his concern anymore. Suddenly his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, recognizing Tatsuki's number.

''Hey.''

''Have you arrived yet, Ichigo?'' Tatsuki Arisawa asked.

''Yeah, just got here. This place is packed. Where are you again?''

''The Shinto Rec Center should be about a ten minute walk from the Fuyuki station. Do you have a map?'' she asked.

''No.''

''Ichigo, come on!''

''Hey wait-'' Ichigo spotted one of the pamphlets on the visitor's center desk. He grabbed one, switching his cell phone awkwardly to grab it. ''Gimme a sec.''

He flipped through it, scanning through the pages. Fuykui was divided into the Shinto and Miyama halves by the Miongawa river. The Shinto half was the more modern half and the place where the Regionals were being held.

''Found it,'' Ichigo responded.

''Alright, I'll be waiting.''

* * *

''Thank you for your hospitality,'' Waver Velvet told Rin Tohsaka. Both of them were seated in the living room of the Tohsaka house. Rin had lost many properties under Kotomine's mismanagement of her estates, but she had rebuilt much of her fortunes in recent years. Tohsaka manor was a fairly charming almost quaint piece of architecture, a leftover of sorts from past heads living there.

Rin was a beautiful young woman with long black hair and blue eyes. Currently she was dressed in a crimson blouse and long black pants. As a magus she was a powerful and skilled one for her age, having surpassed her father in magecraft.

Twelve years ago she had fought in the 5th Holy Grail War, finally helping face down Gilgamesh as he tried to use it to cleanse Earth of all human life using the curse in the Grail. After that she had settled into an odd ménage à trois with Shirou and Saber, both who she had grown to love intimately. She had even been thinking about having children lately, having grown into the peak of her adulthood.

Seven years ago they had officially departed to London for Rin to carry out her studies at the Clock Tower with Shirou Emiya as her apprentice. After five years she completed her education in time to end the Holy Grail Wars. As head of the Tohsaka clan she had returned to Fuyuki two years ago with Waver Velvet to dismantle the Grail system. Naturally, they had been opposed by elements of the Mage's Association. What followed was a conflict almost as intense as the Grail War.

Lives were lost and ruined, but eventually Waver and Rin had trumped. The ancient head of the Matou clan, Zouken Matou, had opposed the dismantlement of the Grail system and had subsequently been backstabbed by another rogue magus. His body had curiously disappeared when Waver had arrived. Thus did the ancient vampire finally leave this world. Perhaps he could have survived, but with the final dismantlement of the Grail system it appeared that any life left in Zouken had been gone.

''It's nothing after the hard work you did. Besides you should thank Shirou, not me.'' Rin replied, she'd had her disagreements with Waver before, but he had done her a great service in dismantling the Grail. That thing was corrupted and she did not want it on her land anymore. She had witnessed evidence of its corruption during the Grail War, first hearing about it from Gilgamesh and then witnessing the mountain of flesh that had sprouted from the body of Shinji Matou, bursting with a foul curse.

''I will when he comes back. Where is he by the way?'' her guest inquired.

''Out viewing a local archery competition. Call it idle curiosity. Now what of the news that you needed to inform me?'' she asked.

''It's definitely happened again,'' Waver informed her. He was a man in his early forties, dressed in luxuriant red and gold clothes. His hair was long and well kept, albeit with a touch of grey at the temples. He was the Lord El-Melloi and suffice to say one of the most powerful people at the Clock Tower.

''Are you sure?'' Rin inquired. A sense of dread began to creep up in her.

''It's a Servant, Caster most likely, I'm sure of it. They've set up around the central building at the Shinto Center skyscraper.'' Waver told her, sipping at his tea.

''But how? We dismantled the system.'' Rin asked in disbelief.

''I know. I personally checked the cavern at Mount Enzou. I triple checked everything we did. The Grail should be defunct at this point.'' Waver told her.

''But it's a Servant that's present?'' Rin asked.

''Most definitely. I would stake my life on it.'' Her guest answered.

''So those rumors were true…'' Rin muttered. She had heard rumors of some Magi receiving Command Seals but she dismissed it as a hoax. However she did ask Waver Velvet to look into the matter, which he did, having helped her dismantle the Grail.

Well now it seemed the Grail was active again, despite the utter impossibility of that. For a moment, the Tohsaka mage's mind grappled with the idea, wondering just how this could be happening. Then the deeper implications sank in.

''I thought I made my stance on the Grail War clear at the Clock Tower. To trespass on my land to perform an illegal war…'' she trailed off. It was a deep insult to her as the overseer of these lands. As Second Owner she was the caretaker of the spiritual rich leylines of Fuyuki. Any passing Mage who wanted to set up a workshop or take part in a thaumaturgical competition had to contact her first to have permission to do so. In past Holy Grail Wars the Tohsaka had sanctioned the Grail War and taken part. But now…

''You are of course, well within your rights to kill any trespassing Mage as Second Owner. But considering your condition, even with your boyfriend and your other lover, it might be hard to enforce that, especially if there are other Servants present.'' El-Melloi pointed out.

''Can't you put this down? You are a Tower Lord after all.'' Rin replied.

''I'm trying. I've already called up what allies I can. While it's true I do wield great influence I also have many enemies in the Clock Tower. When I dismantled the Grail in the past I used up many favors and burned many political cards. I have influence, but currently I'm being blocked and strangled with red tape by my opponents,'' Waver informed her.

Rin gripped her tea in annoyance.

''This is not helped by the fact that the Einzberns have been pushing forward with every resource at their command, claiming the Grail is pure and untainted by anything.'' Waver continued.

''That's-

''-pure bullshit I know. But Acht has grown obsessed with that thing.''

''What of the Church? Surely they cannot simply ignore this?'' the owner of the lands asked. In the past three wars the Church had regulated the Grail Wars, or at least they theoretically did. Kirei Kotomine had possessed his own agenda concerning the Grail and had illegally participated himself.

''I don't know much about the internal politics of the Church at the moment, but as I understand it they have their own share of infighting. They have however dispatched a representative of their own in order to claim it,'' Waver told her.

''So this is an unsupervised Grail War in my lands? Ignoring how that tramples on my rights as caretaker of this land and how easily that would endanger the existence of magic, when can you gather enough support to stop this?'' Rin asked.

''I don't know. It would take me a few months at least to even start untangling the pit of vipers that makes up Clock Tower politics, but by then the Grail War will be over,'' Waver told her. Rin sighed.

''What else?''

''Officially the Clock Tower does not endorse this. Unofficially at least a couple of noble families are sending representatives to claim the Grail. Oh, few would dare come openly and violate your rights as Second Owner, which is why they've probably hired freelancers or suchlike to conduct the War for them.'' Waver told her.

Rin was silent. She had thought the Grail Wars were over and she could live in peace on her lands again with her lovers. She thought she could carry on life as normal.

Now? She didn't know what to do. The impossible had happened. The Grail War was being conducted unsupervised in her territory and despite her objections to the contrary. Never had she expected this. Rin sighed, at least the Magi here should understand the need for secrecy. Even if they were coming into her land illegally none of them should be so stupid as to utterly ignore one of the most basic laws of magecraft. No, the real problem was the civilians who might get dragged into this conflict.

God help any poor fool who was dragged into the war.

* * *

The orange-haired young man looked at the tall blocky building, about five stories tall, it was a relatively recently addition, being put into place after damages courtesy of gas leaks from several years back. A pair of large glass doors was currently swung open.

People milled in and about the main visitors center. Ichigo spotted dozens of people dressed in the traditional judo gi. He spotted signs being held above the crowd, probably to mark out the various competing teams. Tatsuki was on the Karakura team. Ichigo would have arrived with them sooner, but he had to spend time attending Karin's soccer practices. Spending time with his sisters was something he treasured.

In a way he supposed he should have been thankful. It had been several months since his powers had been lost during the fight with Aizen. He had used the Final Getsuga Tensho to finally halt the madman's schemes. But that came with the loss of his Shinigami powers and the ability to see ghosts. Ichigo had possessed the ability to see ghosts from a very young age. Then a year ago he had met a Shinigami named Rukia and his life had changed forever.

He had traveled to Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, fighting some of the mightiest Shinigami and Hollows in existence. He had fought to rescue Rukia and later Orihime. He had even conquered his own personal demons. He missed that part of his life. He missed being able to talk to Rukia or Renji and he missed Zangetsu. He felt like there was a hole in his gut. A piece of him had been lost and he wasn't sure that he would ever gain it back.

At least he was still able to devote more time to his social life. Hollows still plagued Karakura town, but his friends and the local Shinigami were able to fight the creatures just fine. It felt frustrating to be on the sidelines, however.

''Shirou,'' A voice said behind him. Ichigo didn't pay it much attention.

''_Shirou_,'' The voice repeated and touched his arm. Ichigo jerked behind him and saw a blond-haired young woman look back at him in surprise. She was a beautiful if somewhat tomboyish woman, perhaps only a few years older than Ichigo himself. She was also a foreigner, a European by the looks of her.

She had an aura around her that seemed to command respect. In a way she reminded him of Byakuya, or perhaps even Aizen. Perhaps it was her posture or the way she addressed him, but Ichigo felt inclined to pay careful attention to her.

''Can I help you?'' he inquired curiously.

''Oh, I'm very sorry. I thought you were my boyfriend,'' She apologized.

''It's fine. Really, I'm surprised that you got me confused with somebody else. My hair color isn't exactly common,'' The young man remarked.

''Well, Shirou does possess unique attributes,'' The foreigner replied.

''Are you from America? I'm surprised to see a foreigner here.'' The young man wondered out loud.

''I'm from England actually. I live here with my boyfriend. He wanted to see the local archery competition,'' The woman explained.

''Saber,'' Another male voice cut through the crowd and a red-haired young man moved up. He glanced at Ichigo. The other youth returned the glance. Ichigo could see how he might be mistaken for this man at a distance, although his hair was a shade darker than the ex-Shinigami. He was a handsome, friendly looking young man with an athletic, lean yet muscular frame.

''Is there a problem?'' the man asked.

''No, I just mistook this young man for you.'' The woman, Saber, explained. _This must be Shirou then,_ Ichigo thought.

''As I said, it's no problem. Although I am looking for the Karate division. Do you have any idea where that is? I just got here.'' Ichigo asked.

''Two halls down to your left,'' The redhead supplied.

''Thanks.'' Ichigo nodded thankfully as he turned around and began to walk away.

''I'm always glad to help.''

* * *

''Whew, I need a shower.'' Tatsuki groaned as she stretched her hands above her head. She was sweaty and exhausted after a long day at the Regionals. Her gi was soaked and she was looking forward to a nice long shower.

''Hey Ichigo? You handling those fine?'' Tatsuki asked behind her, glancing at her orange-haired friend as he hefted several bags. The two were walking through the hallways of a nearby apartment complex in Shinto that the Karakura Division had rented out for the week-long competition.

''Yeah, I got them.' Ichigo shifted the bags a bit. He had sat in the stands watching the competition unfold. Ichigo himself was a martial artist and street fighter so he had watched with interest as things played out.

The Karakura team had done pretty well in the opening rounds. Tatsuki had gotten into third place before she had been defeated by one of the local competitors. Ichigo could tell that stung a bit, but he was proud of her performance regardless.

''Here we are, room 204,'' Tatsuki stopped in front of the door and locked it. It swung open to reveal a rather basic apartment. The Karakura team was only staying here a week after all. Ichigo spotted a table and a mini-kitchen, but little beyond that.

''I'm in 205, right next door. Lucky eh?'' she commented.

''Yeah. Pretty lucky.'' Ichigo set down the bags. His phone vibrated again and he took it out. He had a text. Quickly he looked through it. Sighing, he put the cell phone back in his pocket and glanced at Tatsuki.

''Look I'll set this here. I've got to grab some more stuff at the train station. There's been a mix up and I've got to grab some stuff my dad sent me.''

''Alright, I'll be next door if you need me.'' Tatsuki told him.

* * *

Ichigo walked through the streets as the last rays of dusk receded behind him. Shadows slowly appeared until the only sources of illumination were the dim Fuyuki streetlamps. Soon it was nightfall in the city streets.

Ichigo wasn't exactly worried. He had fought thugs and bullies before. Chad and he were pretty infamous for street fights back in Karakura. That was even ignoring all the battles that he had fought in as a Shinigami. But he couldn't rely on those powers now. He was just a normal human now, a fact that rankled a bit in his heart.

But he was wary. He felt he could take any local thug that could appear but there was no sense in getting careless at this time of night. The sooner he could grab his stuff the sooner he could get back to the apartment and get some desperately needed sleep-

Pain suddenly shot up his hand as he grimaced and clutched his wrist. He was no stranger to pain, but the sudden shot of fire into his hand had surprised him. Cursing a bit, he looked down at the back of his hand, wondering what the hell had happened. A crimson light glowed briefly and in the light of a street lamp Ichigo saw what looked like tattoos on the back of his hand. It looked like three crescent moons arranged in a triple-blade formation right on his skin.

''What the hell?'' he wondered out loud. Tattoos didn't just spontaneously appear. He guessed he might have been a bit more freaked out by something like this, but Ichigo had seen his fair share of weirdness even before he became a substitute Shinigami.

Was this something spiritual? He wondered. Was this a sign that his powers were finally returning? Urahara said it was extremely unlikely that would happen but the orange-haired youth supposed that even Urahara could be wrong once in a while.

Then there was a shuffling sound behind him and Ichigo looked behind him to see what looked like mummies sliding towards him. Actual mummies. Linen cloth was wrapped around graying skin as two zombie-like creatures shuffled towards him.

''What the hell?'' he repeated. Was this some sort of weird cosplay thing?

''Hey, are you guys lost?'' he asked. Then the things moved suddenly, like a striking snake. Then Ichigo saw their features more clearly as they moved into the light. That was not makeup. He was staring into the rotting features of some sort of creature.

It struck out at him with outstretched hands. Ichigo reacted quickly, his trained body responding to throw the thing over his shoulder in a judo toss. The other moved towards him, but Ichigo dodged and kicked the thing away. The bodies suddenly writhed on the ground before collapsing into a swarm of blue scarabs that skittered on the ground. Ichigo stepped back in shock, not wanting to get within range of those weird things.

Then in the distance he spotted taller, more powerful forms of what looked like jackal-headed men made out of stone or clay, each wielding long gleaming gold blades in their hands. Ichigo paused for a moment, fight or flight instincts swimming in his brain.

He chose to run. It wasn't that he was afraid, but he really had no idea what was going on and he needed to reach someplace safe. Behind him came the howl of jackals on the hunt as the familiars moved after him.

* * *

Percival Nuada-Re sipped delicately from a glass of champagne as he looked into the crystal ball floating in the air. It showed an orange-haired Japanese youth running down Fuyuki's streets, chased by several of Caster's familiars.

''This is the Master?'' he asked incredulously. Nuada-Re was a rather short but stocky man with carefully combed brown hair and a mustache. He wore a carefully pressed grey suit as he reclined in the seat of the Fuyuki Shinto Hotel. It was a building constructed about eight years ago as part of a new city-wide construction effort, it now housed the base of operations for Caster and Nuada-Re. Towering like a huge grey obelisk, it stretched over the skyline of Fuyuki with ease.

Percival Nuada-Re was the product of eight generations of Magi in Britain. They were a famous and prominent Magi family with ties to many of the noble clans. For example the Sophia-Ri's were a branch line of theirs with connections to the famous Archibald Clan.

Percival Nuada-Re had taken upon himself to enter the 6th Holy Grail War as soon as he learned it was active again. Others within the family had cast doubt on the validity of the Holy Grail War, but Percival was determined to prove them wrong. Not that he had too much contact with them anyway. He had been living in Egypt for the past several years, studying with the Atlas organization.

Actually entering the Holy Grail War was a risk in itself, as he was technically on these grounds illegally and thus subject to the punishments that the Second Owner of the land might deem fit. But he determined that to be an acceptable risk. He was confident on his own magecraft, family connections, and Servant to escape whatever punishment that might ensue.

Politics in the Clock Tower were also a reason Percival was participating. Two years ago certain members had provided quiet support to enemies of Waver Velvet, having seen the ascension of a third-generation magus to the position of El-Melloi to be an insult to the old families of the Clock Tower. They didn't move openly of course, but there was certainly an undercurrent of dissent against the man that seemed ready to reform the Clock Tower.

Percival had been disheartened when he heard the Grail system had been dismantled but he had been elated when the Command Seals appeared on his hand. Three elegant loops intertwining with each other on his skin.

**''I believe so. Your Familiars have spotted the command markings correct?''** a regal, ethereal voice sounded. In the room a majestic figure stood next to Nuada-Re. It was a man, yet far beyond any mortal man.

Caster was a gold-skinned figure of medium height dressed in a white loincloth and wearing an elaborate gold burial mask over his head, crafted in the shape of an ibis. Black hieroglyphs were tattooed onto his skin, each a funerary spell. In one hand he clutched a stave with the symbol of the ankh. Next to him the Book of the Dead floated in the air, the scroll closed at the moment.

During the Age of the Gods he had been a powerful magus and wise man, known for his architectural works. His catalyst had been a hieroglyphic engraving recovered from one of Caster's own pyramids. Nuada-Re had summoned him in Egypt, thus granting him a power boost due to his fame in the area.

It was a wise precaution, considering that Casters were traditionally considered one of the weakest classes due to the Magic Resistance possessed by the Knight classes. Nuada-Re had considered trying to summon another more combat-oriented Servant, but he felt that he would be more compatible with another magus.

Not that Caster necessarily needed the power boost. He was a powerful Magi from the Age of the Gods when such powers were at their peak in addition to being one of the oldest Servants one could summon. Caster was also well known as one of the founders of Hermetic Magic, a style used in many circles of the Mage's Association today.

Nuada-Re had spent long hours conversing with his Servant, not only on the Grail War, but also on the various philosophies of the ancient world and of Magic. True, Percival was unable to learn Caster's style of Magic, but it was fascinating to learn it all the same.

Caster himself was fascinated with the modern world and architecture, having spent long hours learning about the wondrous creations that had come after his time. He was also pleased to know that his works still stood.

''True,'' Nuada-Re acknowledged. They had been lucky to spot this Master freshly gain his Command Seals and while near another Master that they had been tracking for a day now. They could eliminate two birds with one stone. Caster's clay golems were already tracking him.

**''He is coming near the place were that oriental Magus is staying. Such an inexperienced fool,''** Caster commented. That oriental Magi's bounded fields had been easily spotted and were no obstacle to Caster.

''Yes, do you want to go and eliminate them yourself?'' Nuada-Re asked. An amused chuckle came from Caster.

**''I hardly need to sully my hands with killing two blind insects. No, my Shabiti should suffice for the task,''**

* * *

Tarou Mizu stared at the box as he gleefully opened it. Here was the accumulation of all his hard effort and money spent in acquiring this catalyst for the 6th Holy Grail War, an illegal war that never should have happened.

Tarou was a second generation magus of an unimportant family in Japan. He possessed no Crest of any worth and had not even been accepted into the Clock Tower. He was mostly self-taught but he had a knack for gathering information.

He had learned of the Holy Grail War, a thaumaturgical competition over a wish-granting machine in Fuyuki city, a land normally governed by the Tohsaka family. It centered around summoning powerful spirits of heroes long gone to fight to the death for the right to possess the Holy Grail. There had been five wars, each ending in failure.

Tarou was determined to win this one. With that he would finally gain the respect and power he deserved. Never mind the fact that Rin Tohsaka had publically made known in the world of magic that she did not approve of anyone entering the war. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. He had purchased a shard of rusted armor from England, to serve as a catalyst to summon a Saber-class servant. He hoped to summon someone like Gawain, Lancelot or Galahad, any of those knights would do.

In fact in a part of this soul he desperately hoped to summon Arthur, the King of Knights himself.

Of course gaining this catalyst was not easy, especially for a minor magus like himself. He had practically spent everything he had in order to barter for this and even then he was quite lucky to have acquired it from a certain black market dealer.

But now his obsession would be rewarded. Placing the box with the shard in front of him, he looked over the carefully prepared summoning circle. He had triple checked everything about it, using pig's blood in order to create it. Everything had to be perfect for this summoning. Here in this abandoned warehouse near the Fuyuki Station he would summon Saber.

Grinning, he began to chant the lines to the summoning ritual.

_"Ye first, O silver, O iron._  
_O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract._  
_Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg._  
_Let the descending winds be as a wall._  
_Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve._  
_Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut._  
_Five perfections for each repetition._  
_And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead!_  
_Set._  
_Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade._  
_If thou submitteth to the call of the Holy Grail, and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond._  
_I make my oath here._  
_I am that person who is become the virtue of all Heaven._  
_I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades._  
_Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of wo- -!"_

He went through line by line, making sure to get each aspect of it correctly. The circle began to glow as he reached the climax when suddenly the door to the warehouse burst open.

''What?' he stopped his incantation as he spotted the unwelcome face. It was the idiot that he had bumped into earlier today. That distinctive orange hair was easily recognizable, even in the dim light of the flickering warehouse light-bulb.

''How the hell did you get past my bounded fields?'' Tarou continued.

''There's things behind me! We've got to bar the door!'' the young man said, breathing hard, as if he had run a marathon. Tarou paid him no mind. He was angry. His summoning ritual had been disrupted and this youth would pay.

He supposed he could have simply hypnotized the man, but Tarou was feeling vindictive. He thought about using his magecraft to kill the man, but he decided to conserve prana for the ritual. He pulled out a switchblade instead. Then, behind the youth came several towering shapes. Each one was a tall, hulking dog-headed golem, seemingly made out of a sort of rock-hard clay. The human intruder slowly backed away from the entrance as burning red eyes swept over the two young men, the golems readying golden scimitars.

''Shit!'' Tarou was frozen in fear. Familiars. Not just any familiars, but familiars of Caster. He had recognized the tell-tale signs of the Servant when he scouted out the city a few days prior. The familiars moved, blades flashing and Tarou knew no more.

As his corpse hit the ground, Ichigo leapt back. A golden scimitar slashed out and cut into his forearm. Ichigo's blood spilled over the summoning circle as the dog-warriors moved forward, scimitars raised for a killing blow.

Then the summoning circle flared to life.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I do hope I covered the personalities of the characters well. It takes place about twelve years after UBW, and about two years after Rin and Waver dismantled the Grail system. Rin, Shirou and Saber have already spent five years aboard in London before that time.

As for Percival Nuada–Re… I normally don't use OC's unless there is no other option. In this case I already scoured various Nasuverse characters for someone to suitably fulfill the role as one of the secondary villains in my story, but I eventually went with Percival. Don't worry, he's not really a major character at all.

As for Caster, the first draft of this story did indeed give away his identity, but then I rewrote it, thinking that it's better for people to guess. It shouldn't be hard though to find out who he is.

As for the summoning aria, I found like three different translations online. I chose to go with this one.

As for Ichigo's own Servant it should be easy enough to guess, based off my prior comments.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Thank you for your responses and your comments. Here is the next Chapter and the reveal of Ichigo's Servant.

I'm actually rather surprised that people thought it was Mordred. It was never intended to be her. Perhaps I should have changed the catalyst to something more vague?

Anyway, here is the grand debut of Ichigo's Servant. Some people may have already guessed it. Saber was selected primarily because of the catalyst, but I do hope his selection would make sense to people. For those hoping to see Mordred, I apologize, but this choice was planned well in advance even before I began the story.

As usual, if you spot any spelling or grammar mistakes then please inform me. My automatic spell checker in particular keeps in changing ''Rin'' to ''Run''. It's very irritating actually.

This chapter was proofread and edited by Vandenbz. Full credit to him for that.

**EDIT:** Changed the catalyst from a splinter to a shard of armor.

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki moved back, watching in shock as the summoning circle flared to life and a blue light filled his vision, followed by billowing smoke. The dog-things paused for a moment, seemingly taken off guard by the sudden phenomenon. Inside Ichigo Kurosaki, his spiritual center, long neutered ever since the Final Getsuga Tenshou, kicked back to life briefly in a sudden sharp spike of pain. He clutched his chest suddenly, mentally comparing the pain to being stabbed by several blades.

Far away, in a realm beyond human comprehension, or even that of the Shinigami, a soul was called forth.

The shard of armor had been excavated from the ruins of a hermitage in England. Once it belonged to a famous knight of the land. After his death peices of his armor had been scattered and now this shard served as a beacon for the Throne to determine the Heroic Spirit who would be summoned into the Saber class.

With this, the soul of a fallen knight was copied from the Throne of Heroes and brought into existence.

As the smoke cleared , Ichigo Kurosaki blinked to see a single form kneeling in the center of the circle. Armor clanked as the figure rose to its feet and promptly gazed around the room. Ichigo realized it was a knight, clad in black steel plate forged into a fearsome visage. Ornate designs and jagged ridges covered the armor, evoking a sense of dark grandeur. Long whip-like strips hung from the back of the armor, each tipped with a pointed metal spike and a long blue plume descended from a full-face helmet. It was if a storybook black knight had stepped off from the pages and into reality

For a second it seemed like time itself was frozen.

Then the black knight _moved_. There was no other word to describe it. To Ichigo's now human senses the black knight appeared as a blur. A single ebony steel gauntlet slammed into one of the dog-headed warriors before snatching a golden scimitar out of the creature's grip. The golden scimitar blackened and red lines spread over it as the knight tore into the familiars. The black warrior lopped off heads and limbs, cutting down all fourteen of the dog-headed familiars with peerless skill and grace.

Then it was over. The bodies of the familiars began to decay and disappear. The black knight dropped the scimitar where it promptly disappeared into dust. Then the knight knelt before Ichigo just like in those medieval movies.

Perhaps it was appropriate, a black knight for one who had been a black swordsman.

''In accordance to your summons, I Servant Saber have answered. I ask of thee, are thou my Master?'' the knight asked.

The orange-haired youth blinked at the figure before him. It was an actual knight like the kind his mother had read to him from picture books when he was younger. Curiously though this didn't shock him as much as he thought it would. That was probably due to his Shinigami career and his various adventures.

He wondered exactly what he should do now. This warrior was obviously not human, yet he had saved Ichigo's life and seemed to be awaiting his answer. For a moment the ex-Shinigami thought about what to tell the black armored warrior.

''Yeah, I guess.'' He nodded hesitantly.

The knight rose.

''The contract is completed.'' He stepped forward, armor clanking. The knight's visor looked him over.

''You are injured, my lord. Do you have a base of operations?'' he asked.

''Yeah. My apartment is about an hour's walk away from here.'' Ichigo got up, favoring his arm. In truth it was not only his arm that hurt, but every part of his body. It felt like a hundred needles were being thrust into his nerves.

''I shall follow your lead then,'' The black knight nodded.

Neither of them noticed Ichigo's Shinigami badge let out a trickle of ebony energy.

* * *

Nuada-Re watched the crystal ball as it transmitted information directly from Caster's familiars. He finished sipping the rest of his drink and he put it on a nearby table. He steepened his fingers in contemplation, only pausing to glance at Caster.

''Well that didn't go as planned.'' Nuada-Re commented.

**''That was…unexpected, I shall grant you that. Regardless the situation is not as bad as it first seems.''** Caster indicated.

''That boy surely was no magus, yet he summoned the knight of the sword, Saber.'' Nuada-Re pointed out.

**''True, but I doubt he would be able to properly supply Saber with prana or make full use of his capabilities. He is no magus, I can tell that easily.''** Caster explained.

Nuada-Re considered that. With Saber in the hands of this oriental hick, then victory should be much easier. He shuddered to think of what the so-called strongest Servant class could do in the hands of a competent Master.

* * *

Tatsuki Arisawa flipped through channels on the television set, moving through a milk commercial to a video game advertisement before finally settling on a random anime. She sighed and relaxed back in the sofa chair she had pulled forward. After her shower she felt nice and serene. The regionals had been tough, but it was worth it. She loved to pit her skills against other martial arts teams in a test of skill. It appealed to the warrior part of her soul. She was a bit disappointed that Ichigo had declined to participate in the actual events.

Then her door opened and Tatsuki looked over to see the exhausted and bloodied form of Ichigo being supported by what looked like a medieval knight in western-style plate armor. She paused, her brain taking a few moments to process the image.

She got up, quick as lightning, still dressed in her sleepwear.

'' Ichigo! What happened?'' she glanced at the knight. Did he do that?

"I got attacked by some strange monsters. This guy saved me. I think he's some sort of spirit. That or a really badass cosplayer,'' Ichigo told her as he settled in on her other sofa. Tatsuki moved to get bandages. The knight set him down and looked over them impassively.

After a moment. Tatsuki took off his shirt and inspected his injuries. A set of nasty bruises were located mostly on his arm along with a very nasty looking cut. She cleaned and bandaged it as best she could using a first aid kit she quickly procured from the bathroom cabinet. After that Ichigo looked up at the black knight.

''Hey, thanks for the help back there.''

''It was my duty as a Servant and as a knight.'' The black armored warrior responded, his voice deep and rich. From the way he spoke he almost reminded Ichigo of Byakuya, or the Third Division Lieutenant, Kira. He spoke Japanese, but with a slight Western accent and with a sorrowful tone.

''But I ask of you Master, what are your plans for the Holy Grail War?''

Ichigo looked at him quizzically.

''What are you talking about?''

''You are a Magus here to seek the Grail? Correct?'' the black knight asked.

''Again I have no idea what you're talking about.'' Ichigo responded.

''I see. It was an accident then…'' the black knight mused.

''Why don't you start from the top and explain this in detail?'' Ichigo asked. The knight glanced at Tatsuki.

''I'm not sure if this is for prying ears Master-''

''Look. Tatsuki's one of my best friends and I trust her with my life. Anything you can tell me you can tell her, got that?'' the orange-haired youth told the knight. After a moment the knight nodded and began to explain.

* * *

''So wait, you are the reincarnated ghost of a legendary hero.'' Ichigo said slowly.

''Correct.'' The knight said.

''And I've somehow stumbled into a secret war between a bunch of wizards in order to claim an omnipotent wish-granting machine.'' The orange-haired youth continued.

''Correct.''

''And this is a battle royal between the heroes of myth and legend? Most likely a highly dangerous event with huge amounts of collateral damage,'' Ichigo continued.

''Correct.''

Ichigo stared at the black knight. He took in a deep breath.

''You know what? I believe you, but that's only because I've seen stranger things in my life.'' Ichigo pointed out. The black knight wondered if he should ask his Master what he meant by that, but he decided not to press the issue.

''Does Soul Society know about this?'' Ichigo asked. The knight stared at him, his expression masked by that helmet.

''I do not understand what you speak of Master.''

''Never mind. Look I really don't want to get involved in this. Tell me, is this going to be dangerous to me or my family?'' Ichigo asked. He felt uncomfortable about the knight calling him Master.

''Possibly. The other Masters will endeavor to slay you. Without the contract between you and me I would dissipate.'' the man, now identified as Saber, told him.

Ichigo thought about it briefly. Magic existed. Actual wizards and not just kido practioners. He might have found it ridiculous if not for the fact he himself had met Shinigami before and seen actual ghosts.

In truth he didn't quite know what to do. As he had told Saber, he certainly had no desire to get stuck in some sort of death match. Yet he didn't feel right letting Saber dissipate. Plus if magi were anything like that guy in the warehouse, then he didn't want to let a bunch of crazy wizards run around with the ghosts of ancient heroes at their beck and call. That and there was the possibility of major collateral damage to innocent civilians.

He had fought to protect people as a Shinigami. Perhaps he could protect people still…

''You would disappear?'' he asked, still trying to understand everything.

''Yes, a magus supplies prana to their Servant. That is the information the Grail has given me along with the language and culture of this time. You are supplying me energy somehow, although since you are not a magus I don't know how you are doing that.''

Ichigo had a feeling. He felt…almost whole, like he had his powers back again, but not really. He could feel the dregs of spiritual energy stirring in him once more, although Zangetsu was silent and gone still. Something had happened back at that warehouse that had some sort of effect on his spiritual powers.

Perhaps that had to do with the painful feeling all over his body? Saber was apparently like some sort of parasite, feeding off the spiritual energy that Ichigo gave out. It was odd though. Saber was not like any other spirit he had encountered. He didn't seem like a Hollow or a Shinigami.

''Is there some other way you can exist?'' Ichigo asked.

''It is possible for me to acquire prana by consuming the souls of the living-'' the black knight began. Ichigo's fists tightened at that remark.

''-but I would never do so. It would be against my code as a knight. You would have to use a Command Seal to force me to do so,'' Saber told him. That news was a relief to Ichigo. It seemed this Saber guy was pretty decent after all.

He glanced at his hand again, looking over those three crimson moons tattooed on his skin. Saber had told him that each tattoo signified a single absolute order to his Servant. He could command him to do anything, even commit suicide if Ichigo wanted. He would never use them. Ichigo disliked the thought of taking away somebody's free will. Just the thought made him feel queasy. He would never use those marks. Right then and there he decided that without hesitation.

''Look, I'll enter this and help you, but I don't want this Grail or anything. I just want to protect people from getting caught in the crossfire.'' Ichigo told him.

''A noble aspiration,'' Saber nodded.

''You said you were an ancient hero right? And each of these heroes are divided into seven classes right?'' Tatsuki asked, deciding to interject. She had seen strange things in her life, from when she had been attacked by hollows to when that weird white butterfly guy tried to kill her about a year ago. She supposed she should be shocked, but around Ichigo she had learned to expect strange things.

''Yes. I have been summoned into the Saber class. It is an excellent fit for me. In life I was a master swordsman.'' Saber told them.

''Then what hero were you?'' Tatsuki asked curiously.

''I would prefer my identity to be held in strict confidence. You are not magi and thus would have little in the way of conventional defenses against magical subterfuge.'' Saber told her.

''Ummm, okay then.'' Tatsuki nodded slowly. She understood the basic idea, although all this talk of magic was still weird to her. It was like she was in some fantasy manga or anime.

''That's enough for tonight. I need to sleep. Maybe Hat n' Clogs can offer more advice then.'' Ichigo sighed, getting up to go to his room. Saber moved next to him, armor clanking. Ichigo glanced at him.

''Hey, do you need a place to sleep or something? You kinda attract attention in that getup.'' Ichigo noted, thinking of Rukia when she lived in his closet. Saber shimmered and seemed to disappear before him.

''I do not require sleep. I can assume spirit form if you wish.'' The now ethereal Saber informed him.

''I can still see him,'' Tatsuki noted. Saber glanced behind to look at her, perhaps in confusion.

''How?''

''It's a special trait she and a few more of my friends have. I'll explain more later.'' Ichigo told him.

''I understand Master.'' the black knight responded.

''Yeah, about that whole Master thing, I have a name. It's Ichigo Kurosaki,'' the orange-haired young man told the knight.

''I understand… Lord Ichigo,'' Saber said slowly. The knight turned and moved away.

''I shall stand guard over your dwelling. If you need me then I shall appear.''

* * *

As the girl left and his Master went to sleep in his room, Saber stood at the entrance of the dorm, watching the area around his Master carefully for any intruder that might approach. As a non-magus his dwelling lacked bounded fields or any other sort of warning device, which put Saber at a disadvantage.

As he took up position be began to think. He had been summoned to Japan, a country far in the East. He had never been there in his lifetime, but Merlin often spoke of such places in his tales that he told to the court.

Merlin. That brought back painful memories and opened up old wounds in Saber's mind. He would have preferred to have been summoned as Berserker. That class, the Grail told him, could drown out their sanity with Mad Enhancement. He would have preferred that, to lose himself in the depths of madness so that he would not have to face the reality of his guilt and shame. Even now he felt such feelings well up inside the very core of his being.

He was a Heroic Spirit, but he felt unworthy of that title. He had accomplished many grand deeds in his life, but all of that was stained by the treason he had committed. He was unworthy of praise and respect. God and King may have forgiven him, but what use was that if a knight could not forgive himself?

Saber quashed those thoughts. He had a new liege now and a new duty. He would fulfill the terms of the contract as honor demanded. Even as a fallen knight he would hold on to whatever dregs of chivalry he had left and help his Master attain the Grail.

His thoughts turned to his Master. He was no magi and thus should not be able to supply prana to him, yet somehow the orange-haired youth was able to supply _something_ to him, although it was but a trickle. Saber had just enough to exist and fight with his basic Noble Phantasms.

His most powerful Noble Phantasm was out of his reach at this point. Compared to other Servants who were empowered by their Masters, he was at a disadvantage. He could increase his power by devouring souls but he refused to do that. Such a thing utterly disgusted him. He was happy at least that his Master shared similar sentiments.

But strangely he could feel the young man's supply of energy slowly increasing over the night. Drop by drop and inch by inch it slowly grew. He could not explain how, since he was no mage, but if this kept up he would eventually be at full power and able to use his most powerful Noble Phantasm. In other words he needed to pace himself for the time being, assuming that his Master's power continued to increase.

That oddity was just one of the other things that he found strange about his Master. He freely shared the secret of the Holy Grail War to non-magi, which did not correspond with the rules the Grail had informed him about. Out of respect for his Master and his code of chivalry, he took no action against the girl. He disliked the idea of striking a lady anyway.

Still that girl's ability to see him even in spirit form was shocking. She had some sort of power that the mundane population did not possess. Perhaps he might investigate further into the matter but he doubted it. He had a War to conduct after all. Whatever personal issues he might have, he would serve Ichigo Kurosaki first and foremost in this war.

And so did the black knight known as Saber watch over his Master.

* * *

The man stood on the cold dry ground as he looked off into the mountains in the distance. He had a name, but to the wider world of mages, he went by the alias of 'Rook'. He pulled out a cigarette and blew out some smoke before he went over and checked the summoning circle again to see if everything was all right.

It was. Of course this had to be done as carefully as possible. A lock of red horsehair had been painstakingly acquired by his benefactors as a catalyst for a powerful hero. The Holy Grail War had come up in a most unexpected manner and his benefactors wanted in.

But they wouldn't do something as politically suicidal as entering the territory themselves. After all Rin Tohsaka had made it clear that she would be unamused at any attempts to conduct a Grail War in her territory. But some people would do anything to reach the Root…

So Rook had been hired to act as the representative for certain magi who wished to remain unnamed. Mostly certain people from the Sea of Estray who had taken an interest in the Grail. He had been contacted a month ago when the Grail had reportedly activated again, despite its dismantlement by Waver Velvet. He then took a quick trip to Fuyuki to gain Command Seals and acquire a base of operations before taking a short trip across the Sea of Japan to China.

Rook stood about five foot ten. He was a slender well-muscled man with a scar on the side of his neck, taken from a particularly nasty hunt against a Dead Apostle. His features were handsome in the same way you could call a knife or a snake handsome. There was a curious aura of lethality around his body. His long black coat was buttoned against the cold morning winds of China's northern coast.

Rook was a fourth generation magus of a rather minor family. He was never part of the official ranks of the Clock Tower Executors, instead he served as an assassin and mercenary for various interested parties.

Needless to say, he was quite good at what he did.

He took a deep breath and glanced out in the distance over the shoreline. Japan was just across the sea. He had already made arrangements for a flight to Fuyuki. There he would conduct his war for the Grail.

The hero he was about to summon was a mighty one, albeit treacherous. However Rook felt confident on summoning him. No heroic spirit could survive without prana and he held the Command Seals. That and he was no stranger to betrayal, having survived in the cutthroat world of the magi to become a lethal mercenary killer.

With that he straightened up, performing the summoning ritual for the hero. Line by line he went over it carefully, the lines on the summoning circle glowing a blue-white before smoke and light filled the air. When it cleared a man stood before him.

He was tall and powerfully built, with short red hair cropped close to his skull. Black markings were tattooed over his face. He wore ornate red and gold armor forged in ancient Chinese fashion. On his head wore a long twin-tailed red pheasant headdress. Then the man straightened up and flexed his arms.

"I have come forth in accordance to your summons. I ask of you, are you my master?"'' the man rumbled.

''I am.'' Rook nodded.

''Good. I better have worthy foes then.'' The man told him.

''Welcome to the war then oh Flying General. Trust me, this will be a challenge for your talents.'' Rook gave a cold smile. ''What is your class?''

''I have been summoned into the Lancer class.'' It was true. This Heroic Spirit held qualifications for several classes, although with summoning him here, it hardly mattered what class he was. The other man cocked his head thoughtfully.

''I feel stronger than I thought I would be. I feel my steed as well as my bow.'' the man glanced over the shoreline.

''Yes, China. I thought it wise to gain all the benefits of you being summoned in the land of your legend.'' Rook answered. This Servant would have already been a powerful warrior even without fighting in the Far East, were his legend was well known. With it he would truly be a fearsome fighter.

Heroic Sprits drew strength from their legends and the beliefs of those who worshipped them as legendary souls. Thus a Heroic Spirit summoned in the land were their legend took place would be further empowered by the beliefs there. It was entirely possible to acquire extra Noble Phantasms because of such a fame boost.

''Excellent. I have a feeling that this War will be most enjoyable.'' The man laughed.

* * *

The crimson-eyed girl looked up as the moonlight shone down in her garden. All around the girl, great black hounds stalked. She reached down and petted the head of one of them before walking over to make sure the summoning circle was complete.

She had arrived here two weeks ago, renting a house with what funds she had. The Second Owner of this land had forbidden intruders for the purpose of the Grail War, but she cared not. Misaya Reiroukan has waited for this moment all her life.

She had been greatly distressed when she had received news of the Grail's dismantlement two years ago, but here it seemed fate had intervened in a miraculous way. She hadn't had time to search for a catalyst so she would have to summon her Servant without one. She began the chant, reciting each line of the ritual in a calm and practiced manner. She would not fail this. Line by line she went over until the summoning occurred. Her hounds yelped and fled from the circle.

The smoke cleared and Misaya inspected her new servant. It was a young woman, with what looked like animal ears on top of her head. Her long hair was blonde, save for her bangs, which were a greenish yellow. She wore a green and black huntress outfit with long thigh-high boots. She carried a most wondrous bow in her hands and her golden eyes regarded Misaya thoughtfully.

''In accordance to your summons, I, Servant Archer have arrived. I ask of thee, are you my Master?''

* * *

The catalyst had just arrived a half-hour ago and the time was nigh.

Adala von Seckendorff glanced out the window of the castle, seeing the ever present snow pelt the frosted glass. It felt strange being in such a famous place. Few mages outside the Einzbern family were allowed in the heart of that ancient family's seat of power.

But Acht, the old head of the family, was desperate. They had thought the Holy Grail lost to them permanently two years ago when Waver Velvet arrived in Fuyuki to dismantle the Grail system present and end the Fuyuki Grail Wars. A large conflict had ensued between those that supported Velvet and those in the Mage's Association that opposed him. The Einzberns, having given much in their efforts at retrieving the Grail, had predictably sided against Velvet.

They lost that struggle and were forced to watch from afar as Rin Tohsaka and Waver Velvet dismantled everything they had hoped to accomplish. It seemed the Einzbern dream of retrieving the Third Magic had ended in disaster. Then they encountered a man who promised them everything. A man that represented an organization that allowed them to do the impossible. The Grail War started again and Acht's cold heart once again beat with ambition.

The Einzberns themselves wanted the Grail desperately, but they were alchemists who were poor at actual combat outside of specially designed homunculi. Thus in the Fourth War they had hired Kiritsugu Emiya to represent their interest in the Holy Grail War, offering the scabbard of King Arthur as a catalyst.

They had failed then, with Kiritsugu betraying them. They then proceeded to spend the next ten years helping prepare the homunculus daughter of Emiya to take the Grail. Illyasviel had summoned the mighty Heracles and went off to war. She too died, having been slain and her heart ripped out for use by other participants to help conduct the Grail ritual.

Now with the Grail rising again the Einzberns were forced to recruit an outsider into their ranks to lead the charge in conducting Heaven's Feel. Acht found it distasteful at bringing in another outsider, but with the Grail War moving far faster than anticipated, he was forced to improvise. A self-geas scroll had been part of Adala's contract to help win the Grail. Acht was taking no chances for betrayal this time.

Adala was the member of the Seckendorff clan, a family of runecraft magi who could trace their roots back six hundred years, serving as long-standing associates of the Thule Society, a runecraft association in Eastern Europe. While they paled next to the regal bloodline of the Einzberns, they were blue-blooded enough for Acht's tastes.

She was a user of Nordic-style runes, a form that was unpopular with the Mage's Association at large. Such was her skill that she had mastered all eighteen original runes used by the Thule Society. In addition, she was a skilled combat mage with experience in Sealing Designations. As a freelancer she had taken on jobs for both the Mages Association and the Church.

Adala was a blonde haired woman in her late thirties with rather severe features. She was more handsome than beautiful really. She had neatly combed blonde hair that went past her shoulders and piercing brown eyes. The runemage also wore a double-breasted blue greatcoat with white trim. Rune-marked gloves and boots completed the ensemble.

Adala toyed with her coat buttons as she turned her attention over to the young girl in the corner. Irene von Einzbern was a rushed effort by the standards of the Einzberns, a second-rate product compared to Ilya, but she would suffice as the Lesser Grail for this war. She reminded Adala of an emotionless little doll, pale as porcelain with the snow white hair and crimson eyes of her lineage present.

Personally, Adala found the girl somewhat intimidating.

But enough of that. She turned her attention to the catalyst. The Einzberns possessed the catalyst for Heracles, but Adala was able to convince Acht to try another approach, citing another hero that would be better suited for her. The agents of the Einzberns had acquired this catalyst at her behalf and now the summoning ritual was prepared. A fig leaf from a cursed tree lay in the center of the summoning circle, the whole array having been triple-checked by Adala. This must not fail.

She began the summoning aria. She spoke each line slowly and carefully, power building up as the lines on the summoning circle glowed and then flared. Light and smoke poured out around them.

Then the smoke cleared.

Adala studied the form of the white-haired young man in grey armor plate. He had tanned skin with a glowing green mark over his chest. He wore a long dark grey cloak and had a massive two-handed greatsword strapped to his back. He gave off an air of majesty that only a Heroic Spirit could possess.

''Upon your summons I, Servant Rider, have come. I ask of you, are you my Master?'' the hero asked.

Rider? She intended to summon him as Saber, the greatest of all classes. But that hardly mattered because since this hero was summoned in Germany he would receive a power boost and additional Noble Phantasms. Even as a Rider this Servant would be very powerful.

''I am.'' Adala nodded, throat suddenly dry. She had succeeded. With this Rider the victory of the Einzberns would be assured. There were few heroes more accomplished or skilled than the one she had summoned. She glanced towards his back.

''May I see it?'' she asked. Rider smiled and unveiled his blade. Adala glanced at it. The greatsword was truly a work of art, a mighty blade that belonged to an incredible hero. This was indeed a blade to rival the strongest holy sword. She stared at it for almost a full minute, entranced by its aura.

Then there was a cough and Adala turned to see the cold visage of Acht.

"My Lord,'' she knelt.

''You may pay your respects by winning the Grail. This may possibly be the last chance the Einzberns possess. Do not fail us.'' Acht told her.

''We won't.'' Adala nodded. She would give her very best for this. Something like the Holy Grail War came once in a lifetime and she was eager to test her skills.

* * *

Candlelight flickered off the cross in the corner of the basement. In the last War this had been the sanctuary of the priest Kirei Kotomine. Here he had been appointed supervisor of the Holy Grail War in the name of the Church. But Kotomine had possessed his own agenda. Unknown to anyone, he retained his Command Seals after the last war along with his Servant, Gilgamesh, who was given life by the tainted mud of the Grail. There he murdered a Master and took her Servant, Lancer, for his own.

So when the Holy Grail War appeared to start again, despite the utter impossibility of it, the Church took interest. While they did not dare act officially, they were able to send an agent of their own in order to advance their interests and make sure the Holy Grail did not fall into the wrong hands. He was not a mediator as in the past wars, but a full-fledged participant, one of the few Church members with magic circuits and knowledge of magecraft.

So in the dark of the Church basement, the summoning was done by another priest, a priest who had received his own Command Seals three weeks before. He did the aria correctly, and then he added a few more lines to the chant.

"_But let thine eyes be clouded with chaos. Thou, who art trapped in a cage of madness, and I, who doth hold thy chains!"_

Soon, a massive figure appeared in the darkness, easily towering over the priest by a good foot. The hero stood straight in a proud manner and made the customary question. The priest answered, establishing his status as a Master.

Yet as soon as the contract was completed, the priest turned on Mad Enhancement, driving away Berserker's sanity and replacing it with a haze of madness. He had no need for a partner, only a mechanical pawn. Lesser magi would be unable to control such a mighty hero gone berserk, but he was no ordinary magus. Now this hero was reduced to a virtual extension of the priest's iron will.

Sancraid Phahn gave a cold smile as his Servant's roars echoed in the Church basement.

''So, you chose to summon a Berserker then?'' a voice came from the shadows. Sancraid eyed the figure. He was the man's true partner in this operation and part of the organization that had helped make the Grail system operational again.

There was another Servant in the shadows, although Sancraid's eyes could not pick him out. Hassan-I-Sabbah was a master of stealth and not easily spotted. The Assassin had been summoned about three days ago with Sancraid's assistance.

''Yes, he should serve well as a tool.'' The white-haired priest nodded.

''Well I suppose you can handle him. An interesting choice for a Berserker.'' the other man glanced at the dark figure in the summoning circle, shaking with barely restrained madness.

''But enough of that. I take it our plans will proceed accordingly?'' Sancraid asked.

''Of course. Assassin and I shall play our roles in the coming drama.'' The man told him.

''What of your visit to Germany?'' Sancraid asked.

''Everything is going according to plan. The Einzberns have furnished the Lesser Grail and are playing right into our hands.'' the other man reported.

''Excellent. Although it's a pity I could not gain the help of more of your organization.'' Sancraid commented with his hands clasped behind his back.

''In truth my group has need for secrecy at the moment. I will be the only representative directly taking part, but my assistance should be enough for Heaven's Feel. My leader feels we have already given too much help already.'' The shadowy man commented.

''Yes, your elimination of Zouken Matou has been of great help. To think he had tried to make a black Grail of his own…'' Sancraid mused. He had been surprised when he had found out what the old vampire had tried to do.

''Yes, killing him was much harder than expected. That old magus was quite tenacious, but we have our ways.'' The man in the shadows shrugged.

''Yes, I suppose you have given more than anyone could possibly ask for.'' The Church representative nodded. ''Although you did not have to come here personally.''

''I was curious, nothing more. Although I would like to observe things on hand with Assassin.'' the man said.

''You are fighting this early in the plan?'' Sancraid was surprised.

''No, I dare not move openly without very good reason, lest Soul Society detect me. My leader has determined that secrecy would be best for my organization. We shall reveal ourselves when the time comes in the future, but not now.'' the man in the shadows said.

''And Assassin?'' the priest asked.

''He'll be at your disposal for the moment. I have used a Command Seal to have him temporarily follow your orders for the time being.'' the man in the shadows told the priest.

''I'll look forward to seeing his performance on the battlefield. But for now…'' the man turned to gaze upon the growling form of Berserker.

''Let the Holy Grail War begin.''

* * *

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the long author's note, but I wished to clarify a few things.

Alright, here you have the Servants and Masters for this war. As I mentioned before with my previous chapter, I may make use of some canceled ideas from the Penitent One. For example Lancer here.

Now, if a Servant was summoned in their home country, apparently they would receive a power boost and extra Noble Phantasms. Apparently according to Nasu, if Cú Chulainn was summoned in Ireland he would receive a chariot, a castle and a general power boost. I don't know if this power boost is locational or fixed, so I asked around various forums. I got several different answers on what was right, each one different from the next. So I decided for a compromise, at least for the purposes of this fanfic.

A Servant summoned in their homeland will retain their extra Noble Phantasms and some of their extra fame boost, although they would be even stronger if they were actually fighting in their homeland. So Rider is boosted due to being summoned in Germany, but he would be even stronger than that if the war actually took place in Germany. I do hope that explanation is acceptable. Such a fame boost is actually a plot point in the future.

As I also mentioned in the previous chapter, I normally don't make use of OC's unless I can't find another canon character for the role. I did adapt a few characters from Fate/Prototype to compensate though. Misaya Reiroukan was Proto Lancer's incredibly hot Master in Fate/Prototype, and Sancraid was the evil priest in Prototype, although he plays a somewhat different role here. You can look them up.

The OC's in this fic however will _not_ play a role beyond that of an antagonist and the focus as the main character will be on Ichigo and Saber, with Shirou, Rin and Arturia taking a supporting role.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Here we go, this is the third chapter. Not much action here, but just more of a setup for the next chapter and the confrontation there. Saber and Ichigo talk a bit and our favorite carrot top begins to pry a little into Saber's shell.

That and why this chapter took a bit long to put out was my doubt over the choice of Lancer. I considered switching about my current choice for Lancer for a Greek or Irish Lancer, but I was uncertain if I wanted to do it. I'm still wondering if I should do that actually.

Oh, and I edited the catalyst in the first two chapters to a shard of rusted armor. Hopefully that should lessen confusion about who is going to be summoned. Again I apologize for the mistake that I made.

Anyway, please inform me of any spelling errors or mistakes. This chapter was edited by Vandenbz. Reviews and comments are welcomed.

* * *

_Ichigo was dreaming._

_He stood in the middle of a brightly lit forest, watching the sunbeams pierce through the canopy below. In front of him was an old church that looked like it had seen much better days in the far past. Its windows were broken and vines curled over its dirty walls. In the distance he could hear the low sounds of the forest, particularly those of birds and animals._

_Then he heard footsteps and the clank of armor, Ichigo turning his head to see a magnificent figure emerge from the forest. It was a knight clad in shining white armor, ornately detailed. The knight's face was covered by a silver full-face helmet that obscured his features._

_In one hand he held a masterfully crafted blade. For a moment, Ichigo's eyes were drawn to it. It was a blade of shining blue-white steel, engraved with shimmering letters of a language he did not recognize. Chains were wrapped around the hilt almost as an afterthought. __It was almost like a zanpakuto, seeming to radiate with a life of its own. The blade had a history to it that Ichigo could not describe. It was more than a mere sword, it was a blade forged by inhuman hands for a great warrior._

_The gleaming knight paused before the church, sword and shield at ready. He glanced about, taking in his surroundings, ignoring Ichigo who was too stunned to say anything. For a moment all was silent, save for the chirping of birds._

_''Pellas said it was near here…'' the knight said to himself. Then something shook within the church and a massive figure prowled out, shaking off splinters of wood from its scaly hide. Ichigo stared in shock at it._

_It was a dragon, just like in the fairy tales. A lizardlike beast that was almost as big as a house. Red eyes stared out from a horned head and massive bat wings stretched out. Great talons grabbed the earth in front of it as it roared, flames gushing out._

_''Come then beast! Meet your doom!'' the knight shouted and charged forward._

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki woke up, the light shining in his eyes as he groaned, throwing off the covers. He had a faint headache and his body felt somewhat numb. Strange, that wasn't the usual morning feeling that he often had.

''Sir Ichigo?'' a voice sounded and he looked up to see the form of a medieval knight in all-encompassing black armor in front of him, helmet inclined so that he was looking down at the youth on the bed, his expression unknowable.

''Wha-?'' Ichigo paused, mind clearing out the last dregs of sleep. He gripped his arm, feeling the bandages there. He remembered. He had been out last night to pick up some packages from the train station when he had been attacked and this guy had appeared.

That reminded him. He never got a chance to get those packages.

''Are you in good health?'' the knight, Saber, repeated.

''Yeah, don't worry about me.'' Ichigo got up and grabbed some clothes before moving over to the bathroom. The knight's helmet turned to observe him silently.

''Although I had the strangest dream recently. It was about this knight and a dragon and…'' Ichigo trailed off. The rest of the dream was pretty hazy.

''I see. If I understand it correctly it's possible for a Master to witness events from his Servant's life in a dream. Or at least that is what the Grail's information gave me.'' Saber told him.

''Wait, so dragons really existed?'' Ichigo was surprised.

''Yes. They have long departed from this world. The age of Phantasmal Beasts is long gone.'' Saber sounded wistful.

''So, wait, you really were one of those knights who rode around and rescued princesses and stuff?'' Ichigo asked. Saber fell very silent.

''You are correct. But that does not matter. I'm sure my past would not interest you. It does not deserve praise or pride.'' Saber told him.

Ichigo just glanced over at the man who proclaimed himself to be his Servant. What was he hiding? Ichigo was smart enough to know that his Servant was concealing something about his past. One part of him said he should give Saber his privacy; however another part was curious about that white knight in the forest.

''To address another pressing issue, I have a gift for you.'' The black knight told him.

''A gift?'' Ichigo wondered what kind of gift Saber could give him. The black knight held out his gauntlet. In it was a ring.

''You are vulnerable to magical attack. I have a ring that wards off magic. I am entrusting it to you for the Grail War in order to protect you against enemy magecraft.'' Saber explained. He handed it to Ichigo who looked at it for a moment, wondering if he should accept it.

He sighed and took it before slipping it on over his finger. He felt a slight buzzing sensation but nothing else.

''You sure you want to give me this? Won't you need to be protected against magic?'' Ichigo asked. He didn't want Saber to get injured on his account.

''I have been summoned into the Saber Class, who possess high Magic Resistance as a Class Skill. Without my ring I would take a rank down in that skill, but my Magic Residence is still quite high.'' Saber informed him.

Yeah, he had mentioned something about that in his explanation. The Grail War had some weird RPG system going on with various abilities divided into ranks. It was strange, but hardly the oddest thing Ichigo had encountered so far.

''Well thanks,'' Ichigo nodded. ''C'mon. I've got to make some calls.''

* * *

The morning aroma hit Rin's nostrils as she stirred awake. She groaned and pulled on a pair of slippers as she rose from her futon. She had been up last night, directing some bird familiars to search the city for Servants. So far she had little luck in that matter. Her room was otherwise empty, meaning that Saber and Shirou were probably in the kitchen if the delicious smell of waffles in the kitchen was any indication. Her stomach rumbled and Rin got up, moving out through the western style doors.

Like a zombie, the head of the Tohsaka clan lurched through the hallways before emerging in her kitchen. Once the domain of Aoi Tohsaka, it was now the kingdom of Shirou Emiya to perform his dietary miracles.

Arturia was sitting at a western style table and digging into a huge stack of buttermilk pancakes, doused with syrupy and covered with sliced strawberries with a large glass of milk at her side. The site of it made Rin salivate. Apparently her male lover had decided to go western for this meal.

''I've already got your stack readied,'' Shirou replied without looking up. He was clad in an apron and currently opening a pancake mixer. Steam hissed and he drew out the fresh pancake and put it on a stack near a plate.

''That and your coffee is readied as well,'' Shirou indicated the steaming mug readied on the table. Rin mumbled thanks before promptly tearing into the much needed breakfast and caffeine. About five minutes later she was finished.

''I didn't find anything last night. Or at least nothing other than Caster's presence,'' Rin finished the last stack of pancakes.

''So the other Master have not summoned their Servants yet or they are hiding very well,'' Saber mused.

''Probably hiding, and when I find them…''Rin trailed off dangerously. Shirou felt a bit of sympathy for those poor bastards unlucky enough to be caught on her land.

''Well can we at least try and talk to some of the Masters? I know it's an illegal war, but if we can minimize damages that would be good for the civilian population.'' Shirou said.

Rin sighed. She knew what her lover was like. He wanted to save anybody, even if he recognized that it may be an impossible ideal. He had held on to those ideals despite the existence of Archer. She knew better than to deny him. Really it was one part of her lover that secretly scared her. She had realized over the years of living him that he had no regard for his own life if it meant he could save the lives of others. It was just part of his distorted mentality.

''The Grail War is a fool's quest. If we could just convince the other Servants and Masters of this fact then the Grail could not be completed if six Servants are not dead,'' Saber pointed out. Rin knew that was true as well.

Above else they had agreed that the Holy Grail must not be completed. Otherwise it might be used to raze the Earth, just as Gilgamesh had intended to do. The worst case scenario must not be allowed to take place.

''Fine. We'll try and negotiate. However if they refuse…'' the black-haired girl trailed off again, her mind no doubt visualizing various punishments to dole out.

''Are we going to confront Caster next then?'' Shirou asked. That snapped Rin out of her thoughts.

''Not yet. I would like to head out with Saber to check the Ryuudou Temple to see if any Servants might have fortified themselves there. Right now early in the war is the best time to set up a base at the place and it would be difficult to dislodge them if they're allowed to dig in,'' Rin replied. They remembered Caster from the last war doing that very same thing.

''What about Caster do we know?'' Shirou asked.

''Not much, save that he or she must be a very powerful magus. I detected some sort of bounded field near the place were El-Melloi told me to check, but it's very well hidden and like nothing I've ever seen.'' Rin told him.

''I am also confident that I am able to deal with Caster's magic when the time comes. Caster seems content to play the defensive for the time being, so we can confront him at our leisure.'' Arturia mentioned.

''Yeah, I guess that's true. I wonder what other Servants could have been summoned?'' Shirou wondered, his thoughts wandering.

* * *

Sancraid Phahn sat back and watched the television on the news. It was reporting news of a terrible murder near the Shinto shopping district today. The victim had been slain by an unknown knife. It was the second murder of the day.

The priest was sitting calmly in a Church office that had belonged to Kirei Kotomine. Now it was his. The priest's belongings had been removed long before Sancraid had arrived, an occurrence of which he was thankful for, it meant less work for him. Behind him he sensed Assassin. Of course the Servant of the Shadow made no noise as he approached. He was silent and lethal as an Assassin should be. Doubtless Assassin had already cleaned the blood off his knives.

''I take it you were successful with your latest hunt today?'' Sancraid asked kindly.

''I am. I slew that woman and ate her soul. But I have a question.'' The Hassan asked.

''Ask away.''

''My Master has enough prana to supply me, so this is not necessary for me to maintain my power. So why do you command me to murder the local citizens?'' Assassin asked.

''First to implicate Caster who has fortified himself with his Master in a hotel building. I am hoping the Second Owner of the land will investigate and clash with Caster. Second…'' Sancraid shrugged. ''Because I find it amusing to see these orientals die.''

Assassin went silent. Sancraid knew that the members of the Assassin order were killers, but they also were precise killers who avoided harming the innocent, only killing when they needed to. They were not wild butchers but carefully honed scalpels who struck with efficient grace. Sancraid wondered if he would have to bring up the issue of the Command Seals to force Assassin.

''Your plan is a valid strategy, even if I would have preferred going about it differently.'' Assassin spoke, some reluctance coloring his otherwise emotionless voice.

''I'm glad to see you agree. Now I need you to take a third victim today, preferably at dusk…''

* * *

''So that's it.'' Ichigo finished narrating events over the phone to Uryu Ishida.

Ishida was a Quincy, a type of spiritually sensitive human that specialized in hunting and destroying hollows. Ishida was the last of the Quincy, or to be more precise the last of the practicing Quincy who still considered themselves such.

''I see. I honestly never suspected you to get tied up in the affairs of the Mage's Association.'' Ishida commented.

''You knew about this?'' Ichigo was surprised. Ishida had certainly never mentioned anything like that in the past.

''The Quincy were aware of the Mage's Asscoiation, although they tended to stay away from each other. I don't know about the Shinigami though. I've never heard of them interfering with mages in the past.'' Ishida told him.

''Well I just wanted to see if you could get into contact with Urahara and see if I could get some help.'' Ichigo asked. Ishida sighed in resignation.

''I see what I can do with Urahara but don't get your hopes up.'' Ishida told him.

''Well, thanks anyway.'' Ichigo answered with a slight tone of disappointment in his voice. He said goodbye and then hung up before proceeding to dial another number. After a few moments it rang and a voice answered.

''Hey, Yuzu, can you put Dad on the phone?''

* * *

Tatsuki watched as Ichigo chatted on the phone about their newest visitor. She could only hear distant bits and pieces of the conversation. To an extent she was confused by the strange double life that Ichigo used to lead. She had seen him as a Shingami later on, but to this day didn't fully understand the implications of that.

She had eventually developed her own spiritual powers, which was really just the ability to see ghosts and little else. Still it did allow her to see the man known as Saber, as he stood in the middle of the kitchen and stared at Ichigo.

He still wore that nightmarish black medieval armor, having never bothered to take it off while he was in the apartment. She imagined it must be comfortable, or perhaps ghosts didn't feel pain or discomfort like normal people.

''Do you want anything to eat?'' she asked. The knight turned to her, that narrow visor examining her, as if trying to figure out her intent.

''I do not require food.'' He answered.

''Well I'm told that other spirits can eat if they want to so…'' she trailed off, feeling rather awkward. Tatsuki decided to change the subject.

''So are you surprised by the modern world? You're a ghost from the Middle Ages right?'' Tatsuki asked curiously. ''I mean, you said something about that last night.''

''The Grail supplied me with knowledge of the modern era. I am able to speak your language and conduct myself if necessary. I could operate your television set or drive a car for example.'' The knight explained.

''Oh, well that's convenient. That's like the Matrix right?'' Tatsuki remembered that American movie she had seen.

''My understanding does not extend to popular culture.''

''It's a movie, from America. It had a character called Neo who could just download information right into his mind.'' Tatsuki explained.

''I see. Pardon me for changing the subject, but what is your relation precisely to Ichigo? You seem quite familiar with him. Are you per chance paramours of a sort?'' Saber asked. He seemed protective of Ichigo to Tatsuki.

''What? Er-no. I just knew him since childhood. We go way back.'' Tatsuki explained, blushing a bit at Saber's implication.

''I see. You two seem rather close. I would have not been surprised to see him courting your affections.''

''Like chivalry and stuff like that?'' Tatsuki asked.

''You could say that. I might have even suspected an arranged marriage between the two of you.''

''Well we don't have that sort of stuff anymore in Japan. Why? Were you married?'' Tatsuki asked. Saber fell silent for several seconds at this question.

''No, I was not.''

''I see. Well are you going to wear that helmet all day or are you going to take it off?'' Tatsuki asked, a burning curiosity developing in her chest.

''Are you my Master?''

''No…'' Tatsuki answered, somewhat confused.

''Then I will not.''

She suspected there was more to it, but she decided not to press the matter. Then Saber spoke again.

''This will be very dangerous. Undoubtedly the other Masters might target you as well.'' The black knight told her.

''Well I already know about this Grail thing, so it's probably a bit too late to back out.'' Tatsuki told him.

''I suppose that is a valid point.'' The black knight admitted.

''I mean, I'm apprehensive of course, but I've been in dangerous situations before. Like that time that butterfly guy tried to kill me.'' Tatsuki told him. She paused before realizing just how ridiculous that statement sounded. She decided to change the subject. Then on the other side of the room Ichigo ended his cell phone call and got up from the couch.

''So how did it go?'' Tatsuki asked.

''I've made what requests I could make. I'm not too hopeful though. But enough about that. Are you going to head to the regionals?'' Ichigo asked

''Yeah, I've got another set of matches for Karakura today. I'm pretty excited.'' She answered him. ''What about you Ichigo?"

''I've got some things to do.'' Ichigo answered, staring at some sort of medallion in his hands.

''But you'll be there to watch, right?'' Tatsuki asked.

''Hm? Yeah, I'll be there.'' Ichigo answered, continuing to look distantly at the medallion in his hands.

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki walked through the streets of Fuyuki as the sun shone brightly overhead. People milled around him, many of them coming back from the regionals. There had been an intermission and Ichigo set out to find some food.

There was a food café not too far from there. Ichigo planned to take the rest of the day after the Martial Arts Regionals to scout out the various restaurants that Fuyuki City boasted. Already they had a restaurant that served spicy foods that had already attracted his attention. He walked over to the line and waited. Next to him he could see the opaque form of the knight called Saber, standing next to the line, watching in an alert manner. It was still odd seeing the knight follow him around all the time.

He finished paying for a bottle of water and sat at a nearby table in the corner. Ichigo sipped at his water, thinking deeply. Before him was his Shinigami badge, laid out on the table for him to examine. Next to him Saber moved up to his side as Ichigo paused to glance at him once more.

''Are you going to follow me everywhere?'' he asked.

''It would be unwise to leave you unguarded, even in the daytime.'' Saber told him. That's right, Ichigo remembered that these Servant battles were supposed to be fought in the evening.

''Look I can take care of myself. I'm not defenseless. I got caught off guard with those mummy things but I could have gotten out of there.'' Ichigo told him.

''I mean no insult, but you are no Magi and thus would possess few counters to their magecraft other than my ring. In addition you are merely a human against Heroic Spirits; therefore you would stand very little chance. As beings who have transcended humanity in myth and legend they are beyond humans.'' Saber explained.

''Well I know a bit about fighting supernatural beings.'' Ichigo told him. Saber looked at him with curiosity, or what Ichigo guessed to be curiosity.

''Then you have experience with magecraft then? I was led to believe otherwise.'' The knight pointed out.

''No, not that. I used to work as a Shinigami, fighting off monsters called Hollows.'' The orange-haired youth elaborated. Perhaps one part of him was reluctant to explain his past career as a shinigami, but since Saber was a spirit himself he figured it was fine.

''You were a protector then?'' Saber asked.

''Yeah. Even before I became a Shinigami I fought against bullies in my town,'' Ichigo told him. He picked up his Shinigami badge again. ''But that's in the past. I've lost those powers, or at least until you came along. Now I feel…different.'' Ichigo finished, feeling the last part was a bit underwhelming.

''Then you have regained said powers?'' Saber asked.

''No, I feel something relating to my spiritual energy but I can't feel Zangetsu,'' Ichigo shook his head. ''Never mind. Urahara said I would never get my full powers back on my own.''

''I did appreciate your explanation. I am pleased to serve a master with such chivalric qualities.'' Saber told him.

''Yeah, that's right. You look like a knight. Are you from Europe then? Ichigo inquired. The black knight was silent for a moment before answering.

''It doesn't matter what my past was. All that matters now is the Holy Grail War.'' Saber answered in a rather neutral tone. Ichigo frowned a bit. This guy seemed to be pretty aloof and in a sense that only stroked Ichigo's curiosity about the black-armored warrior. Was he ugly or deformed under that helmet? What was he hiding?

''Can I at least see your face then? It's weird looking at that helmet all the time.'' Ichigo asked. Tatsuki had asked this question earlier, but Saber had not been inclined to grant her request. Now Ichigo was pressing him again to do that.

Saber was silent for almost a half a minute before reaching up to his plumed helmet to undo the clasps there. He pulled it off to reveal a pale handsome face with shoulder length dark purple hair. The Servant was a westerner as Ichigo suspected, with a solemn depressed look on his face. He sat his helmet on the table, still invisible to the people beyond.

''Does this satisfy you then Master?' Saber asked.

''You know I kinda thought you would be really ugly or something like that. Why do you wear that helmet all the time?'' Ichigo asked.

''Personal reasons.'' Saber answered before putting his helmet on.

* * *

Back in the Ichigo's dorm, Saber watched the closed door as his Master took care of his personal arrangements. They had returned to his dorm after the cessation of the athletic competition earlier today. His Master was strangely unconcerned with the impending nightfall, which would surely signal the beginning of hostilities. Surely by now the other Masters had arrived. Caster at least was present in the city and had doubtlessly fortified his base of operations extensively.

Saber didn't know whether that was admirable or foolhardy. His Master was certainly a brave individual. The conversation with him that afternoon had revealed much of his character and motivations. He was a watchful knight, and a protector of the innocent. Saber did not know much about the Shinigami that his master had claimed to have been a part of, but Ichigo Kurosaki seemed to possess a good soul to him.

Saber sat on Ichigo's couch, a remote in his hands as he flipped through the television channels. The Grail may have provided information on the modern world, but he would still have to acquire local news himself. Ichigo had borrowed a portable television set from one of the Karakura team division members for use during the regionals. Saber decided to put it to good use.

The reason for this was to find any sign of what the other Servants might be doing. A gas leak or an unusual series of deaths for example, might point to the activity of a Servant battle or a Servant consuming souls for prana. That and privately Saber was fascinated by the concept of moving pictures. Oh, he had certainly known about it from the Grail, but actually _seeing_ them? It was miraculous to him. What would have been True Magic in his time was common entertainment.

He found a news channel, however this one was just reporting a celebrity sex scandal. Saber frowned beneath his helmet before he changed the channel to the next one. This next channel was covering local events. Satisfied, he leaned back on the sofa.

Nearby Ichigo's cell phone began to buzz. Saber glanced briefly at it, picking up the small black object in his hands. Caller ID gave a number, but Saber wasn't familiar with the number. He thought about answering it for a moment.

Then Ichigo came out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. The orange-haired youth stopped and blinked, taking in the rather ridiculous sight of a medieval knight watching the evening news channel.

Saber glanced at Ichigo and held out his phone.

''Thanks,'' Ichigo took the call.

''Oh, hey Karin. Yeah, I'm doing fine. Do you have goat-chin on the line?''

The knight waited for several minutes as Ichigo continued to speak. It occurred to the knight from listening to earlier phone conversations that Ichigo actually had a family. He knew his family and the knight felt a tiny spike of envy in his heart at that revelation. He had never gotten to know his own parents, having been raised by the Lady of the Lake. Eventually Ichigo finished and shut off the phone. He turned to look at Saber.

''I just had to speak to my Dad.'' Ichigo said.

''You have a family?'' Saber inquired.

''Yeah, two sisters, Karin and Yuzu, and my Dad. We ran a clinic back in Karakura.'' Ichigo told him. A clinic, the Grail supplied the information to him. A medical establishment of a sort. His Master came from a linage of healers then.

''You are a healer then? That is a laudable profession.'' Saber told him. His respect for Ichigo had risen.

''Eh, thanks.''

''Forgive me, but what of your mother? You did not mention her.'' The black knight inquired.

''She's dead.'' Ichigo's face took on a look of sorrow.

''You have my sympathies sir.''

''Don't worry about it. It's been years and I've learned to accept that,'' Ichigo told him. ''What about you?'' he asked; curiosity in his voice again, just like at noon. Saber grimaced before replacing his helmet.

''My family is long dead and gone at this point. They died when I was but a infant. I was raised by what you would call a foster mother. It does not matter anymore at this juncture however.'' Saber replied.

''Oh, yeah, your past.'' Ichigo remembered that particular bit that Saber was so reluctant to speak about. Then something else from the television caught his eye.

''-today a third murder victim was discovered near 8th Avenue. This victim was the latest in a line of slayings in the city today. The police believe the murder method was done with a knife of unknown make….'' The newscaster trailed off. Ichigo and Saber were silent. Then the orange-haired youth spoke up.

''Could it be a Servant?''

Saber considered it. ''It's possible. Servants can gain prana by devouring souls. It's possible that this Master is unable to supply his Servant properly and ordered his Servant to devour other people to gain power.''

The black knight noticed Ichigo grip the sofa handle in anger.

''Then we're going out and putting a stop to that right now.'' he said.

''As you wish my lord.''

* * *

**Author's Note:** I had an additional scene with Lancer and his Master talking together, but I cut that out as I wanted to focus more on Ichigo. I was worried about the pacing in this chapter and I was wondering if I did a good job on it or not or I should have added that in.

Anyway, next chapter we have the first real clash of the Grail War.


End file.
